Bengaluru, May 13 (UNI) Stung by the severe criticism from the Opposition Congress and the JD(S) and Public outcry over ill-management in tackling the surging COVID-19 cases, and the colossal failure in ensuring an adequate supply of oxygen, as well as Vaccine against the pandemic disease Chief minister B S Yediyurappa, is likely to announce some kind of relief package for those who were severely affected by the Janata Curfew clamped by the government.
According to official sources, the Chief Minister, B S Yediyurappa, who had convened an emergency Press Conference this evening is likely to announce some financial packages, offering economic relief to the poverty-stricken population in the state.
Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa held a series of meetings over the issue with the senior State Government officials including Chief Secretary Ravikumar and others on the issue.
The BJP's National General Secretary B L Santhosh had also met Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, on Tuesday, and reportedly discussed better handling of the COVID-19 situation as well as offering some financial relief to the needy people during the pandemic crisis.
The Chief Minister, who was reportedly under severe pressure from both the Opposition Congress and the JD(S) parties for not announcing any financial relief before announcing the shut-down of economic activities in the state also facing the fear of inviting the wrath from the Karnataka High Court on the issue of tackling the COVID-19 related problems.
The BJP government had received a slap from the Karnataka High Court when it appointed a judicial probe on its own after ignoring the State Government's decision to appoint a one-man commission into the death of 24 patients at Chamarajanagara District Hospital allegedly due to the lack of the supply of oxygen.
The High Court-appointed judicial committee, which had submitted its report to the Karnataka High Court, has reportedly indicted the Chamarajanagara District, Deputy Commissioner, for the unsavoury incident, which claimed as many as 24 COVID-19 patients, admitted into the District Hospital.
Karnataka Chief Minister, BS Yediyurappa, who had ruled out announcing any financial package before announcing a 14-day state lock-down, which would be in force till the 24th of this month, was however under severe pressure to reverse his decision as to the Chief ministers of the neighbouring, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala state government's have announced several relief measures to the affected people in their states.
The Chief Minister also came under severe criticism from the Opposition Congress party, for its failure to make adequate availability of the COVID-19 vaccine to both the senior citizens as well as youths.
The state Congress leaders, led by the Opposition Leader in the Karnataka Assembly Siddaramaiah and the KPCC president D K Suresh had also staged a dharna near the Mahatma Gandhi Statue located inside the premises of the Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday.
The Congress leader, Siddaramaiah, while ridiculing the Prime minister Narendra Modi's call to observe 'Vaccine Utsav' without assuring an adequate supply of Vaccine to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, has accused that both Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and the Prime Minister had made a shallow promise to the people of the country on the issue.
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